Well, later this month I’m heading back to Bordeaux for a few days to get my taste and tour on. My best good friends at Millesima have invited me to return to re-taste the 2015 vintage and see what a year has done to those incredible Bordeaux wines. This will be mere weeks before the 2016 vintage is released for the wine world to taste[2].

I can’t wait to return to beautiful Bordeaux city. I’ll certainly be heading over to La Cité du Vin, Bordeaux’s Disney World of Wine Museum.

Have any Bordeaux vineyard/restaurant/tourist suggestions I need to try? I’ll have a bit more time to explore on my own this time around. Thanks again to my good friends at Millesima for the opportunity!

Cheers my friends. Until the next glass!

Lawyer Footnotes

[1] #sorrynotsorry[2] Alas, this year I will not be among them, as a new crop of wine bloggers have risen up to take our places. I wish them well. Remember to pack your wine wipes! #wineteeth[3] I had to ask what a “combi” was. I thought it was some sort of British slang like Whirly Windy Pops that I hadn’t heard of before. Turns out “combi” is just short for “combination van”. I love the Brits.

Angels sing all day at Château d’Yquem

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The holidays are a perfect time to get nostalgic, and Millesima is making me all sorts of nostalgic this week. Entries are now open for the 2017 Blog Awards, which means seven lucky bloggers will be heading to En Primeur in Bordeaux in April. This time without me[1]. I’m so jealous.

On a boat in Bordeaux

This was literally the trip of a lifetime, especially for a wine blogger. Me and my blogger counterparts, three from the US, three from Europe, were treated like Kings and Queens from the second we stepped off the airplane until the moment we were chauffeured back to the airport[2].

Château d’Yquem in all her glory

You may recall last year when I asked you, and every other person I’ve ever met, to vote for my entry in the awards[3]. The contest asks bloggers to submit a wine blog that fits into one of three categories:

Wine & Food Pairing Award

Wine Travel Award

Wine Reporter Award (an open category celebrating the best in wine writing)

Millesima Blog Awards

Wine bloggers from the USA, Europe, and Asia are qualified to enter so long as the entries are written in English. A panel of three judges whittle down the contestants to a few finalists and then it goes to popular vote[4].

Winners this year will be flown to Bordeaux, enjoy a private guided tour of the city, a gala welcoming soirée, imbibe at exclusive tastings of the 2016 vintage en primeur with the Chateaux of the Union des Grands Crus, and more[5].

I think I read something about how past winners aren’t eligible. Maybe I’ll start a new blog called Winer Esquirer and submit an entry again. Technically, Winer Esquirer wasn’t a winner, so I think I’m ok. That’s not cheating right?

If you have any questions about how fantabulous the experience was, feel free to reach out. I love reminiscing about French fairytales. For example, we literally drank the 2015 vintage of Château d’Yquem like water. For a few hours. At the Château. While we chatted it up with the winemaker. For real. That happened[6].

Angels sing all day at Château d’Yquem

My friends at Millesima and Bernard Magrez truly know how to make you feel like royalty. Every detail was attended to, and the trip was a jam-packed, wine-filled breathtaking experience. Not only was the wine and food phenomenal, it was an incredible chance to make some lifelong friends from all over the world. My buddies and I still chat today and I’ve even had the opportunity to meet up with people I met there in New York.

You can visit the blogs of my fellow winners, Madelyn, Michelle, Jeremy, Mike and Toma, where they document their fabulous international wine journeys.

Lawyer Footnotes[1] Never say never though, I’m working out a way for me to go back too!! #seeyouthere[2] In a wifi-enabled Mercedes. Because how else do you travel around Bordeaux?[3] I wrote about a white Bordeaux blend, homemade crepes and a crazy a#s client. I miraculously ended up winning the Wine and Food pairing category.[4] Thank God for Facebook. If I’m friends with you on Facebook, I asked you to vote. Probably on a daily basis. #sorrynotsorry

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Keeping you up to date with the latest wine news for all your small talk needs.

What’s in Your Wine? Turns out there’s more than just grapes in there. Who knew? Not us, because there’s no label requirements for ingredients[1]. In addition to sulfite and woodchips, there may also be some Mega Purple, egg whites and fish bladders. Wait, what?

Corkscrew Hacks. Since you never know when you’ll be on a romantic picnic in the park without a corkscrew, or making dinner without a functioning kitchen[3], you’ll want to commit these tactics to memory. Note: This problem would never happen to me because I carry in my purse. And in my glove box. And all over my house.

Wine Theme Park Opens in Bordeaux. It’s been called the Disney World of Wine. I saw it from the outside while I was there and I’m pretty sure it looks like a slug. The inspiration was the swirl of wine in a glass. You be the judge. I can’t wait to go.

(c) The Guardian

Lawyer Footnotes[1] #lawyerlife[2] #backproblems Not to mention the #baggagefee $$[3] A functioning kitchen would clearly have a corkscrew. #amateurs

White Zin be damned, it turns out that Rosé is ok to drink. In fact it’s more than ok and can be really, really good. And not just because a bunch of hipsters in NYC say so. Contrary to popular belief, Rosé is not a blend of red and white wine, it is its own creation of red wine grapes. Its pink tinge comes from the brief contact it has with the grape skins. Give it a try. And talk about it. You’ll be totally on trend. And loving what’s in your glass.

And they have the rest of the world beat. By a lot. The US may claim that it’s the biggest and best at everything[2], but we lag far behind the rest of the world in terms of wine consumption[3]. Residents of Vatican City drink, on average, 44 liters more than the average American. Scientific proof that those beautiful Italians lead blessed and holy lives.

Remember eBay?Now, in addition to an obscure part for your lawn mower or a vintage version of Monopoly[4], you can buy wine. The online marketplace has partnered with Drync to offer everything from hard to find collectibles to every day drinkers to its shoppers. Purchase is of course subject to the shipping laws of the buyer’s state…because this country has yet to figure out an efficient and streamlined way of shipping alcohol[5]. What was that about making America great again?

2015 Bordeaux Futures – Better Buy EarlyPrices for the 2015 vintage[6] are beginning to emerge and prices are high, with a significant increase over the past few years. Like I learned about while I was in Bordeaux, growing conditions for this vintage were epic, and the wines have followed suit. If you’re in the market to put some money up, I’d recommend getting your hands on it while you can. Wine.com and Millesima have some options available. Just know you won’t be getting any bottles delivered until 2018[7].

Now you have some topics of discussion while you wait in the hallway with opposing counsel, or wait for somebody you know to show up to the cocktail party. Either way, you’re talking about wine, so you’ll be fine.

Until the next glass! Cheers!

Lawyer Footnotes[1] Or cup of coffee, depending on your time zone. #winetime[2] Somebody even has the idea that something happened to America and we need to make it great again … #politics[3] Margin of Error: These pollsters failed to WineEsquire about her consumption levels, so the results may be somewhat skewed by +/- 20 liters per year.[4] With or without all the pieces. #bargainshopper[5] Shouldn’t a group of lobbyists get on this? #lawyerlife[6] Which I had the amazing opportunity to taste. #FancyinFrancey[7] Good things come to those who wait.